


darling, let's get old.

by thicklykeen



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Sburb/Sgrub Sessions, Emails, F/F, Fluff, Humanstuck, Light Angst, Marriage Proposal, nadia is neophyte, parts are only dialogue, proposal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 04:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17114195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thicklykeen/pseuds/thicklykeen
Summary: a look of vriska and terezi's relationship in the years they've been together.





	darling, let's get old.

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't edited this entire thing and i'd rather die than do it really  
> but uwu here's this fic i worked really hard n instead of writing divide and conquer oops
> 
> enjoy!
> 
> the title is from the song acolyte by slaughter beach, dog! pls listen

Your first date is a bit of a mess. It’s at a little diner in the rundown part of town where the two of you get burgers and fries that are too greasy, but are so good. It’s a place you suggested, a place you’d always came when you were a kid, and the bright neon sign that reads The Primordial Diner sets up the whole sixties aesthetic. You’d known Terezi since seventh grade, and you hadn’t really talked to her until ninth grade. You’d always thought she was cute, and you’d finally gotten the balls to ask her out a week before. You’d scheduled Saturday at six p.m. and you’d lived up to that promise. You may have shown up ten minutes early, but Terezi doesn’t need to know that. And no, for the record, you are not nervous. You are definitely not nervous. 

When Terezi finally makes her way into the diner, she’s in a bomber jacket and skinny jeans. You can’t see her shoes, but they’re probably her atrociously bright red Vans. When you straighten up and wave at her, she squints and waves back, heading your way. She easily flops into the booth seat in front of you, lacing her fingers together and laying her chin on them. Her short hair is curly, in a cute messy way. You want to play with it. Her worn shirt is tucked into her jeans. You can spot a few small holes in it, and there are bound to be some in the back, maybe larger than the small ones in the front. She’s wearing her bright red glasses, and it seems Terezi tried to style her outfit around the glasses. You’re wearing your old ‘lucky’ jacket, along with some pretty worn jeans. You don’t really remember what shoes you put on, but you’re pretty sure you’re wearing your boots. They’re soft, old, and worn, but you can’t really bear to go anywhere without them. 

“Hey,” Terezi says. You smile and wave at her.

“Hey,” you say. It’s a little awkward. The two of you have been friends for three years at most now, and you didn’t ever really think you’d get this far with her. 

“How long have you been here?” she asks, a smile gracing her face. Your cheeks flush.

“I got nervous, so about ten minutes or so,” you say. She lets out a tiny laugh. 

“I know. I thought I was going to be late, so I got here early too and I’ve been sitting in my car since five-thirty. I saw you walk in,” she says. You snort.

“Thank god, I’m so glad I wasn’t that weird person and just got in here early for nothing,” you say. Terezi laughs again, lifting her hand to her nose as if trying to hide her mouth. Her shoulders shake as her head faces downwards. 

When the waitress asks for your drinks, you’ve warmed up to each other, warmed up to the idea that this is actually a date. The conversation is flowing smoothly and the two of you are being so loud you think you might get thrown out of the diner. 

“Oh my god, you’ve never been to a fucking Target?” you say, a note of disbelief in your voice. Terezi nods.

“Yeah! I’ve never been to a Target before!” she says, cackling. She’s scrunched up completely, a leg in her seat and an arm over her stomach. Her glasses are slipping over her nose and she looks absolutely stunning like that. 

You establish in that moment that you like making Terezi Pyrope laugh. 

 

The second date is less awkward. You pick her up at her house, where she says bye to her mom and shoves herself outside the door as fast as she can. You’d tried to clean your car before she came over, and you’d thought you’d done a pretty good job. As soon as Terezi enters the car though, you feel self-conscious and begin to fiddle with the Mountain Dew bottle in your cup holder. Your hair is properly curled and brushed, not the messy shit you usually leave it in. She seems to take notice.

“I like your hair,” she says. 

“Thanks,” you say. The ride to the arcade is quiet besides the low hum of the radio. It’s some pop station you don’t like, but you’re too nervous that Terezi will make fun of your music taste if you connect your Spotify. You’re tapping your fingers on the console and very gently, almost hesitant, as if she’s scared, Terezi lays her hand on top of yours. You glance over at her, not turning your head, and lace your fingers together. 

When you arrive at the arcade, it’s a little less packed than you expected. You head to the Pac-Man game, which you’re not that good at and you’re praying that Terezi isn’t either, and slot some quarters in. You make it pretty far, about thirty-two levels before you ever die, and Terezi is rolling on the balls of her heels in excitement. She’s hung her glasses on her shirt, and her eyes are so brilliantly bright blue-green that they’re breathtaking. 

“You chose a game I’m good at! Hell yes! Eat ass, Serket!” she says. You let out a cackle. Terezi makes it ninety-three levels before losing even a single life, 102 before losing her second life, and 201 before losing her final life. You gawk at her as she smiles triumphantly. Her tiny frame is relaxed and proud, and you can tell it in the way she stands. Usually, she’s turned in more, shoulders sunk in, posture slouched; now her chest is puffed out and her she’s standing taller. Her shoulders are broad and out, and there’s a wide smile on her face. The award-winning smile on her face is better than anything you could win in this entire arcade, as cheesy as that is to say. 

You roam the arcade for about two more hours before you head to a pizza parlor not too far from the arcade. When you enter the parlor, the cold hits Terezi harder than it does you. She’s not wearing a jacket, you slip off the bright yellow hoodie you’re wearing and hand it to her.

“No, I can’t,” she says, pushing it back to you.

“No, seriously, dude, I’m not cold. Take it,” you say. Unsurely, she takes it. When she slides it on, the sleeves hang down low and the sweatshirt swallows her down to her mid-thigh. You grin and pull her into your side, where she softly laughs and buries her face into your side. This is something you could really get used to. 

 

On the third date, when you’re sure that you’re absolutely smitten with Terezi, you decide that you’ll kiss her. It’s extremely hot today for some reason, so both you and Terezi are in shorts and t-shirts. Well, she’s in a t-shirt and you’re in a tank top, and she’s wearing her checkered Vans. You’ve completed your look by adding a hat that doesn’t exactly match the outfit, but you don’t your face to burn. Terezi’s wearing lip gloss, you notice, and you’re wearing the full set of piercings you have in your ear. 

“When’d you get your nose pierced?” Terezi asks. Your hand immediately goes to your nose as if you’re shocked she asked the question, but you aren’t. You thought you had told her that you had gotten your nose pierced? You hadn’t exactly been completely sober last night, though, so it’s very plausible that you didn’t tell her. 

“Oh, uh, last night,” you say. 

“I like it,” Terezi says with a smile on her face. She gets into the passenger's side of the car and you grin like an idiot. It’s a stupid third date, you’re taking her mini-golfing, but you know it’s going to be fun. The mini-golf place is a little in town, and Terezi lives out in the middle of fuck all nowhere, so you connect your Spotify to the radio. Quickly, you select a song.

“Hey, this song reminds me of you,” you say as the song begins to play. It’s “Sedona” by Houndmouth, and you don’t know if Terezi will like it, you still haven’t placed a finger on her music taste, but you’re hoping she does. She taps her fingers against her thigh and reaches for your hand halfway through the song. You interlock your fingers and let the song continue. 

When you park, both you and Terezi are balls of excitement. Both of you suck at mini-golf, you do know that. There’s a weird spark of excitement in your chest when you’re waiting in line and Terezi is holding your sweaty palm, and you’re trying not to bounce in place. Terezi is tapping her fingers against your knuckles, and for some reason that makes your heart melt. 

When you’re finally able to begin, you let Terezi go first, ever the lady you are.

“You just don’t want to be a sore loser,” she says.

“You, my love, are very correct,” you say, leaning on your club. She lets out a small laugh and you smile. 

The rest of the holes are absolutely a disaster. You’re both cackling and tired by the end, and Terezi’s ball has ended up in the water more than once. Your ball ended up in the water once, as has half of your leg, but that’s beside the point. The entire time is a disaster, but it’s the best date you’ve had with her. Yeah, you’re gonna kiss her today. 

When you get in the car, you and Terezi have your hands latched over the console and the radio on a very soft hum. It’s a classical music playlist John had made in tenth grade, and you only listen to it when you want to go to sleep. You’re hoping it might lull Terezi to sleep, and it does. When you glance over at her, she’s passed out cold. She looks soft in her sleep, peaceful almost. You think everyone looks soft and peaceful in their sleep, and you’re hoping you do. You’re so high strung during the day, so out there and ready to do anything, that you’d like to look like that when you’re asleep. 

When you pull into her driveway, you lean over to gently shake her awake. She stirs, lifting her head from the window and blinking. She looks dazed and confused, and that makes you giggle softly.

“Hey, sunshine. How’d you sleep?” you ask. Terezi looks over at you and your dumb lopsided smile. She grins.

“I’m passing out as soon as I touch my bed,” she says. She reaches for the handle of the car door before you stop her.

“Let me walk you up, I’ll get the door,” you say. She nods and relaxes in her seat for a moment when you get out. After you’ve opened the door, you grab her hand and help her out, beginning the short trek to her door. When you get to her porch, both of you stand there dumbly in front of each other. 

“Today was really fun,” she says, smiling. Terezi looks tired and dopey, and that makes your knees feel like jelly and your heart palpitate. 

“Yeah, it was,” you say, smiling. Her eyes flicker to her door and then back to your face, right down to your lips. 

“Can I, uh, can I kiss you?” you ask, your hand playing with a piece of your hair.

“Absolutely,” Terezi says. So you kiss her, soft and warm, and everything you prayed for. It’s the ideal first kiss, the one you’ve seen in movies; where they kiss on the porch in the soft yellow glow of the porch light. When you pull away, your foreheads are pressed together and your eyes are still closed. You don’t remember when your hand went to her cheek, but it’s there now, and god do you love this. 

 

When you knock on Terezi’s door you’ve got a bloody nose and mouth, and a few more cuts and bruises littered on your arms and face. You don’t remember what sparked the fight with Tinsley, but whatever had, it had gotten particularly violent. You’d roughed Tinsley up more than she had you, maybe that was because you had more experience. Maybe it was because you had much, much more pent-up anger. Your hands are shaking when you knock on the door, you aren’t nervous, but maybe you are. You don’t want Terezi to see you like this but you also don’t want to go back home right now. When you knock, it takes a few moments for someone to answer. Terezi opens the door, she dressed in a pressed white, nice tank top, black pants, and stiletto heels. She doesn’t have her glasses on either, and her hair is nicely curled, and her lips are glossed. She looks like she’s going somewhere important and that makes you want to run.

“Hey, Vriska, hey. What happened?” she asks, walking out the door and holding your face. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, if you have somewhere important to go, I can leave. I didn’t mean to intrude, god, Terezi, I’m so sorry,” you say, stepping away from her hands. Your hand goes to the back of your head. Terezi shakes her head.

“No, no, no, you’re fine, baby. Come on, I’ll get you fixed up, okay?” she says. You nod and try not to cry, heaving a deep breath. She grabs your hand and leads you inside, her heels clacking on the deep colored wood. You wipe at your nose, smearing blood on the back of your hand and your face. The TV is on in the living room, it’s not too loud, maybe at the right volume, but you aren’t really in the headspace to know if it’s good or not. Terezi leads you to a bathroom, lets you sit on the toilet and grabs something from under the sink. It’s a first aid kit. 

“This is going to hurt,” she says softly, sitting on her knees in front of you. She’s going to clean your cuts before she bothers washing the blood off, which you don’t understand, but you go with it. She’s poured hydrogen peroxide on a small cloth pad and begins to wipe away at your cuts. You hiss when she gets to your knuckles, the sting of it in your open wounds hurts. When she’s finished, she stands and kisses your head. 

“Be more careful,” she whispers into your hair. You close your eyes and nod, letting out a soft shaky sigh. 

“I will,” you say. You don’t know if you’re lying or not. 

 

Terezi chooses your fourth date. When she shows up to come get you this time, she’s dressed in bright clothes and has even brighter makeup on. You’re only in jeans and a t-shirt, so when you see her get up you’re very confused.

“Okay, so I assumed you would look like this. I brought some clothes that might fit you and I have my makeup with me, we’re getting you dolled up,” she says. You snort and close the car door as she gets out and goes to the backseat. Your house is much more of a mess than you’d like to admit, and letting Terezi see that makes you a little nervous, but you proceed through it nevertheless. Terezi marvels at your room, which is even messier than your house. You’d tried to clean it up, but there are piles of clothes still on your floor and you’re pretty sure that if you’re not watching where you’re stepping, you’ll step on a d4. Terezi tosses her bag on your bed and flops right beside it. 

“Okay, so I brought a lot of things. I want you to go through them, choose your outfit, and then I’ll get you ready,” she says.

“Okay?” you say, but it comes out more as a question. When you decide on something, it’s a rather loud tank top and high waisted shorts. The shirts a bright blue with a few splatters of what you suppose is supposed to be an orange design.

“I’m gonna change,” you say. Terezi nods and heads outside your door. Your changed in just a few seconds, you’ve always been good at getting in and out of your clothes quickly, and you get Terezi back inside. Terezi looks you up and down, seemingly satisfied with your choice. 

“Ah, now I get to fuck with your face,” she smiles. She goes heavy on your makeup, mostly on the eyeshadow. The colors are orange and blue, yellow in the corners of your eyes, they’re from her own eyeshadow palette. You’d never own one with colors like that, you only own ones with natural glows. She bops you on the top of the head when she’s finished.

“Alrighty, I’m finished. What d’ya think?” she asks. You open your eyes and look in the mirror. It’s nothing you’d ever usually wear, but admittedly, it looks all right on you.

“I’d probably only ever wear this again once, but it looks good,” you say. She does an okay with her fingers, and you get up. “Now, where are we going?” 

“You’ll see,” she says.

She brings you to a roller rink. The colors, much like your outfits and makeup, are bright and colorful. It’s muggy inside and smells like body odor, and you’re sure if you move even an inch that you’ll begin to sweat worse than you already have. Terezi, for some ungodly reason, has her own roller skates. They’re bright red and glossy, and there’s only a little wear to them. You have to get some from the behind the counter, it costs you ten bucks, and while you’re lacing them up, you’re pretty sure that you’re going to slip and fall as soon as you stand up. Terezi is standing and scrolling through her phone, not even wobbly on her feet. Her pink converse are in her hands, and she’s holding them by her laces. When you stand, you nearly slip and grab the chair for support. Terezi slips her phone in her pocket and helps you up. 

“Just so you know, I’ll probably be dead by the end of tonight,” you say. Terezi lets out a cackle, tossing her head back. Both of you sit your shoes and phones on a table and skate your way over to the actual rink. You almost fall at least twice to the rink, so you aren’t exactly excited about the prospect of entering it. Terezi, on the other hand, easily glides onto the floor. You gawk at her as you hold onto the wall. Terezi sends you a wink and a smile and skates away, it’s not hard for your eyes to follow her. Her bright pink vest is a show of where she is, and when you finally take a wobbly step onto the floor, she’s standing beside you. She has a hand on your shoulder, and she looks like she can burst she’s so happy.

“If you can’t tell, I love roller skating,” she says.

“I think it kind of clicked as soon as I saw that you brought your own skates, babe,” you say. Terezi lets out a shy laugh. After some time skating against the wall, and Terezi slowly skating beside you, you think you’re ready to let go of the wall. Very slowly, you take your hand off the wall.

“You sure you’re ready?” she asks. You nod.

“Yeah. Besides, you’ll be there to catch me if I fall. If you aren’t there, you know, the floor’s always there,” you say, shrugging. Terezi lets out a loud laugh, and you go a little unsteady, grabbing her arm harshly. She grabs your shoulder and helps steady you even though you make her a little unsteady. She lets out a soft giggle when you huff out a sigh.

“Quit laughing at me,” you say, fake frustration ringing in your tone. You swat at her arm and slip a little, your knee buckling under you. You fall on your ass and let out a loud yelp. Terezi tries to hold back a laugh, but it doesn’t work very well. You get back up, slip a little, and grab the wall in fear you’ll fall again.

“Okay, so maybe I’m not ready to go off the wall yet,” you say, only a little ashamed. Terezi smiles and leans against the wall.

“You wanna take a break?” she asks. 

“Does it mean I get to kiss you?” you ask. Her smile morphs into a smirk.

“Absolutely,” Terezi says. You grin and click your tongue, stepping off the floor. You collapse immediately into one of the chairs that are there. Terezi rolls her eyes and licks her lip, a smile gracing her face. 

“Ugh, fine,” you say, your head rolling back before you get back up. “I’m taking these skates off as soon as I can though.”

“Aw, that sucks,” Terezi says. She does seem disappointed, like genuinely. You could probably last a little longer if your feet weren’t beginning to hurt and you were sure you didn’t completely ruin the palm of your hand from how many times it’s hit the floor.

“I’ll watch you from afar, dear,” you say, trying to be as endearing as possible. Terezi snorts and her face looks a little happier than it did before. You just want Terezi to know that you’ll always support her, you’ll cheer her on no matter what. You’d support her in a heartbeat.

 

You’d asked Terezi to prom and she’d said yes. Of course, you’d immediately gotten nervous. You weren’t much of a dress wearer, never have been and never will be, so you opted to wear a suit. When you go to pick Terezi up, she’s wearing a nice teal colored dress, and she’s in flats while you’re in heels for once. Now, you’re already taller than Terezi as it is, she’s pretty short, but you might just be saying that because you’re tall. Wearing heels only makes you much taller than her, to the point where you have to bend down to kiss her.

“All right, this, this right here is gonna be a problem,” she says, pointing to both of you. You quirk an eyebrow up as she turns away and heads upstairs. When pops back down, she’s wearing black heels. 

“Now I’m on your level,” she says. You let out a loud laugh, a genuine full laugh, and that makes Terezi smile. Whom you think is Terezi’s mom walks into the room, she’s clad in a nice shirt and leggings with socks to cover her feet. She looks at you and gives a soft smile.

“You must be Vriska,” she says. Her voice is soft, a bit lower than Terezi’s and she places her hand out for you to shake it. Nervously, you grab it and shake, and you think that maybe you held on a little too firmly, but you don’t try to dwell on it. You step back to Terezi and wrap your arm around her. “I’m Terezi’s mother, Nadia.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am, I’m Vriska Serket,” you say. You think you see Nadia’s face fall into a grimace, but she quickly covers it up with a tight smile. That makes you nervous, so you begin to tap your fingers gently on Terezi’s shoulders. Terezi lifts her hand and places it on top of yours. You look down at her and she gives you a soft, reassuring smile. She mouths ‘It’s all right’ to you, and somehow, you believe it. You take in a deep breath and exhale. 

“Let me get a few pictures of you two,” she says. Terezi flushes.

“Mom, you don’t need to,” she says.

“Oh, honey, but I do,” her mom says. Terezi rolls her eyes, but is still smiling.

When you arrive at the school, there are some people still arriving. The tiny girl that’s obsessed with cats (Nepeta you think her name is?) is walking into the school with big, beefy, sweaty Equius. They seemed to be getting along quite well lately, but they were the least likely people you expected to become a couple. Maybe you’re just drawing conclusions. You’re getting sidetracked, so you walk in with Terezi. The music is loud, and it immediately overwhelms you just a little bit. Terezi turns to look at you when you squeeze her hand, you give her a tight smile.

“You okay?” she asks. You nod.

“Yeah, I think I’m fine,” you say, more like shout. Terezi nods and squeezes your hand back.

Tonight’s gonna be a helluva night.

 

By the end of the year, you and Terezi are thick as thieves. You aren’t going to the same colleges or even moving into the same state, but you’ve decided that you’ll try long distance. Hopefully, you won’t fuck too much stuff up on your own, but you can’t make any promises to yourself or her. The summer before both of you leave is filled with dumb skateboarding tricks and roller skating rink activities. Terezi has taken you roller skating so many times that you’ve gotten quite good at it and own a pair of skates yourself. 

The last night the two of you are together, you’re in your room listening to your record player play a dumb slow song. You’re laying on your floor while Terezi is on your bed. Her head pops over the side of your bed.

“Dance with me,” she says. You lift an eyebrow and quirk your mouth into a confused smile.

“Okay?” you say. You begin to sit up and Terezi swings her legs off your bed. You pull her up, and she sets you into some waltz. You aren’t listening to waltz music, so you don’t understand why Terezi chose this dance, but you shrug it off follow her steps. Your mother hadn’t taught you how to classical dance, so you’re a little clumsy and you definitely step on her toes a few times, but by the end of it, the two of you are gently swaying, your bodies pressed together. Her face is pressed into your shoulder.

“I’m gonna miss you,” she says. Gently, you start to play with her hair, tucking your head in it.

“I’m gonna miss you too,” you say. You let out a shaky breath and you feel your eyes start to water. You aren’t going to cry, that’s the one thing you promised yourself you weren’t going to do. Terezi starts to shake in your arms, and you hear her heaving short and deep sobs, and you finally feel yourself begin to break. You continue to sway with her, you silently cry, your hands shaking while Terezi’s entire body shakes in your arms.

“I love you,” she says. That makes you want to freeze, but right now you can’t. You sniff.

“I love you, too,” you say. 

 

You’re eighteen years old when you head off to Pensacola, Florida. You’re going for maritime studies, you’re interest in the ocean and shipwrecks getting the better of you. There are barely any tears when you wish your mother and your sister goodbye, there are only tears when you wish Terezi goodbye. 

“I’m gonna call you as soon as I get off the plane, all right? I’m gonna miss you so much, god you have no clue,” you say, hugging her. Terezi squeezes you.

“You bet your ass I can imagine. I love you,” she says.

“I love you too,” you say. When you unwrap yourself from her hug, you kiss her. It’s the last time you’ll get to kiss her in god knows how long, and that’s when you feel yourself start to cry. 

“Don’t you dare start crying, you’ll make me start crying then!” Terezi laughs tearfully. You smile and kiss her on the top of the head and wipe her tears. You look her directly in the eyes, a sad smile on your face.

“I love you,” you say. It’s like bidding goodbye to someone you’ll never get to see again, and it seems that in that moment that’s how it’s going to be. You love her so fucking much that it makes you sick to your stomach to leave. She’s going to study law in Boston for God’s sake, got accepted into a fantastic school too. You want to melt in her arms right here in the airport. You give a shaky sigh and one last sad smile before you walk off to your flight. You don’t look back, can’t look back, because you don’t know what you’ll do if you look back.

 

You’re half-asleep when you land in Florida. The man sitting beside you shakes you awake, and you startle immediately, alarmed that you’re mother or your sister is the one waking you. You bolt up and hit your head on the seat in front of you.

“Goddammit,” you whisper, rubbing your head. The man beside you snorts and you flip him off, jerking your backpack up from the floor and wait until you can unbuckle and get out. You’ve been to Florida about twice in your entire life. You didn’t have too many family trips, mostly because your mother had been trying to save for your college, but most of the money you made yourself went into that damn bank account. 

God fucking dammit, you’re shaking again. 

When the plane lands, you grab your backpack and as quickly as you can get off the plane. Getting your baggage takes a while, and you almost miss it because you’re too busy messing with your phone. You already hate this. 

 

To: gallowscalibrator@gmail.com  
Subject: i hate florida!

Okay, so maybe I’m being a little melodramatic, but y’know that’s my thing. Florida only KIND OF sucks, but that’s only because you aren’t here. My roommate is kind of annoying too, and she already seems to have this huge vendetta against me even though I’ve only met her. Her name’s Aradia, and I think she’d be alright if she’d let me speak to her. I think by the end of this we might get along? I don’t really know, and I guess that’s what we’ll find out. If not, I’m gonna see if I can move roommates. Who I think was her boyfriend was here helping her move in, he’s a scrawny little dude. Really tall, though. 

Anyway, I don’t miss home all that much. Won’t go into much detail as to why, it’s more of a conversation for real life, but yeah. Really, the only reason I miss home is because of you, but even you aren’t there anymore. God, I’m getting sappy. Okay, I’m ending this email now. I love you, see you soon. 

To: arachnidsgrip@gmail.com  
Subject: Re: i hate florida!

I thought you’d like Florida a lot better than you do. Sorry about your roommate, though. Mine’s pretty cool. Her name’s Kanaya, and she has this big mom energy. I’m pretty excited to start classes, but eh. Kanaya doesn’t talk a lot, she’s got like… the brooding mom persona. She listens to me ramble though, so I think that’s really all that matters. She dresses very nicely too, apparently she’s her to be a designer. 

Home seems like it would be nice, but maybe that’s because I haven’t gone out too much. I miss my sister and my mom, mostly my sister. I miss you too, and I can’t wait to see you again. Love you too, see you soon.

To: gallowscalibrator@gmail.com  
Subject: (no subject)

We haven’t talked in a while. Miss and love you lots, call you soon.

To: arachnidsgrip@gmail.com  
Subject: Re: (no subject)

Class has been a lot. Love and miss you too, can’t wait.

 

“Hey.”

“Hey, how are you?”

“Could be better, a little stressed.” 

“Classes?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, Vriska?” 

“Yeah?”

“How are you holding up?”

“Fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Not fine.”

“How are you coping?”

“No comment.”

“Vriska.”

“Terezi.”

“Talk to me.”

“Parties. Alcohol.”

“Vriska, you know you can always talk to me, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I love you, don’t forget that, okay?”

“I love you too.”

“All right, I have to go to sleep. I’ll call you sometime soon though. Bye.”

“Okay, bye.”

 

“Hey, it’s Vriska. Can’t pick the phone up right now, or I’m ignoring you. Call you back when I get the chance!”

“Hey, Vriska, I hope you’re doing all right. Call me when you can.”

 

“Hey, babe. Are you crying? What’s wrong?”

“There’s so much going on right now, Terezi. I just… I can’t right now? Like I miss you, and exams fucking suck, and there’s just so much pressure to do well on them, I don’t know what to do. Just… Can you just stay on the phone with me? You don’t need to talk or anything, I just… I just want to know that you’re there.”

“Of course! I love you so much, and don’t forget I’m coming over there for winter break, okay?”

“I love you too.”

 

When you go to the airport to get Terezi, she hasn’t landed from her flight yet. Maybe you’re a little too excited, and maybe you woke up at five am and didn’t quit pacing your room until you woke Aradia up and she threatened to kill you if you didn’t stop. You just moved to sit on your bed and scroll through your phone. You didn’t plan on getting dolled up, Terezi has seen you at your worst so there really isn’t a point to. You walk up to the first Starbucks you see and order a peppermint mocha. You don’t need the caffeine, but you get it anyways as if it’s something that’ll calm your nerves. 

Terezi said she’d call you when her flight landed, but holy shit does the service here suck. Nevertheless, the call comes through.

“I’m at the baggage claim, please come get me,” she says. You snort.

”I’m on my way,” you say. 

The baggage claim is crowded, and you don’t know if you’ll be able to spot her, but you see the bright red jacket you gave her last Christmas and you know. Her bags are in her arms and she’s got a backpack slung over her back, and she’s typing away at her phone so she doesn’t see you coming. Gently, you lower her phone, and she looks up, about to argue with before she notices who you are.

“Oh my god, Vriska!” she shouts.

“Shh, not so loud,” you laugh. She laughs, and you notice there are tears in her eyes. “God, just fucking hug me already.”

“On it,” she says, wrapping her arms around you. You dig your face into her hair, and she digs her face into your neck. She’s hugging you so tight and you think you might start crying. You didn’t realize how much you missed her until now. When Terezi pulls back, she’s wiping at her eyes under her glasses. 

“I swear, if you start crying, I’ll start crying, and right now we don’t need that,” you say, a smile on your face. 

 

Your fifth date, you take Terezi to the beach. It’s windy and a little chilly, but all you’re wearing is a hoodie and capri leggings. Terezi is wearing a mustard yellow hoodie and shorts, both of you had left your shoes in your car. You have your arm wrapped around her, and she’s leaning into your side. You’re walking along the coast, and everytime the ocean hits your feet you shiver from how cold it is. There isn’t much talking on this date, only comfortable silence. 

“How often do you do this?” she asks. You shrug.

“Not much. Did when I first got here, do it sometimes to clear my mind. Tried to keep this up as my coping mechanism, didn’t work that well,” you say, taking in a deep breath and run a hand through your hair. Terezi sighs.

“Have you been working on that?” she asks. You give her the so-so sign with your hands and click your tongue.

“Been trying,” you say. You feel Terezi nod against your side. 

“That’s good,” she says. She sounds like she’s proud that you’ve been trying, and really, you have. That’s something you should be proud of too, but all your life it’s been drilled into your head that you don’t need to ask to get help. You can always get over things yourself, you don’t need help, you just need yourself. It was just… something your mother and your sister had taught you. 

You’d never tell Terezi that, though. 

“Yeah,” you say, blowing a strand of hair out of your face. The water washes against your feet. 

“I just got here, and I already don’t want to go,” Terezi says. You snort.

“I never want you to leave,” you say. Terezi’s shoulders shake under your arm from laughter, and that makes you smile.

 

Your sixth date is at a small run-down diner, one the both of you had never heard of. The food is good, and you’re most definitely surprised you’ve never heard of the diner before. It wouldn’t surprise you if none of the people in your own school hadn’t even heard of the diner. Your tossing fries at each other and laughing at your dumb jokes. You’re the only two in the diner beside the workers, so you’re being much louder than you should be, but it’s fun. 

“Okay, so, Dave, you remember Dave, right? Okay, Dave decided to just… walk into his party, and note, these boys hate Dave, and there’s Dave! In all his glory! His boyfriend is at his side, and it looks like Stephen is about to deck Dave in the face, but he doesn’t. You know he can’t do that in front of everybody, because most of these people love Dave, so Dave, knowing this, walks up to Stephen and he,” Terezi chokes on her laughter for a second, “he punches Stephen on the shoulder jokingly and goes, “Hey, buddy, how ya been?” and Stephen looks like he’s about to drop dead. Little does Dave know that Finn is coming up behind him, and he pours this entire cooler of ice and drinks on him. Karkat, Dave’s boyfriend, looks like he’s about to murder somebody, while Dave looks cheeky as hell. Dave turns around and he says, “Nice waste.”” 

You don’t understand why she thinks this is so funny, but as you take a sip of your drink you smile. Curled up in her chair, snort-laughing about some dumb story about one of her best friends, in this weird sixties style restaurant the two of you found while driving around, you realize how madly in love with Terezi Pyrope you are. It doesn’t matter where you are, she’s always there for you and she’s always been there for you. You wonder what it would be like to marry her. 

 

When you’re twenty-three, you and Terezi officially move to Florida and rent a house together. Getting all the things you need for your apartment is a bit of a disaster, both of you get too distracted to actually get stuff done. You end up buying everything you need, and you make your way to a McDonald’s. You and Terezi have the car radio up a little too loud and the sunroof open, screaming the lyrics to this dumb song and it’s so fucking fun. You pull up into the drive through and get burgers and fries, and a large drink, and Terezi gets a frappe. You’re ready to get home and put all your shit up, and lay down to binge watch TV shows.

When you do get to the house and get everything set up, both of you hit the couch. You’re both tired, Terezi has decided to keep her glasses off, blinding her, and she’s sprawled out on your lap. You’re tucked into a corner of the couch, playing with her hair. It’s curled from sweat, and greasy from Terezi running her hands through it and not washing it. She has your free hand tangled in her own, not really making it a free hand anymore, and you’re pretty sure she’s asleep. You remove your hand from her hair to turn down the TV and put something on that you can fall asleep to, and Terezi’s face shifts to a disgruntled look and she pushes her head into your thigh. You do your work quickly, and gently tangle your hand back in her hair. She stops applying pressure and relaxes. You smile, carding your fingers along her scalp, hoping it’ll put her back to sleep. It does, and you feel yourself begin to drift off too. 

In those hazy moments, you think Terezi Pyrope looks ethereal. Your hand is still tangled in her hair, and you can see the way her cheeks puff out. Her hand is loosely tangled in yours, and her fingernails are long and you can feel the tips of them through the fabric of your leggings. You can see the tips of her thick, black eyelashes just a little over her cheeks. Terezi Pyrope is beautiful, she’s so beautiful and you can’t believe that this is the girl you’ve been in love with since high school. You can’t believe that this is the girl who’s stuck around with you, high school and on. You’ve fallen in love with a woman you can’t get rid of, and you’re satisfied with that.

 

When you are twenty-five years old, you decide you’re going to marry Terezi Pyrope. You don’t really know what sparks the idea, but in all honesty, you think it’s been nestled in the back of your brain for quite some time now. Karkat and Dave, two of Terezi’s best friends she’d met in college, are flying down to spend some time with Terezi since they haven’t seen her in awhile, and it’ll be your first time meeting both of them. You’ve heard too many stories about them that it feels like you know and that they’re your best friends, but you’ve really only heard about their good sides. You’re hoping they’ve only heard about your good sides. 

You go and scope out rings when Terezi isn’t home, some online (which is much easier to lie about than real life) and some at some Kay’s Jewelers. You haven’t found anything yet, you don’t even have an idea of what you want to get her, so you’re hoping that Dave or Karkat can help you with that. At this point in time, you’re nervous that you won’t get Terezi a good iring, and your biggest fear is that she’ll say no. You think you’d have a panic attack if she said no, or I don’t know, or let me think about it.

God _dammit_ , Vriska, you’re shaking. 

You only have a slight idea of where you’re going to propose. You think Disney World would be good, it may be cheesy, but it is the world's most magical place on earth. Pensacola is a six-hour drive from Orlando, but it’d be worth it. You’d never even been to Disney, for god’s sake, you don’t know what you’re doing. Terezi is the first relationship that’s ever lasted this long, that’s ever actually fucking meant something to you, you can’t fuck that up. You can never fuck this up because you won’t be able to get something like this ever again. This is going to be fine, you tell yourself. Fine. 

When Karkat and Dave arrive, it’s hectic. They text you before they arrive, but neither you or Terezi have really cleaned the house, so both of you race around the house trying to shove whatever you can where ever you can. The dishes aren’t done, but you can get to work doing those while Terezi gets Dave and Karkat inside the house. 

“No, babe, I’ll do the dishes, make a first impression. Shoo,” Terezi says, promptly shooing you away and making her way into the kitchen. You huff.

“No, I’ll do the dishes,” you definitely don’t want to do the dishes just because you’re nervous. Definitely not the reason you want to do the dishes. Terezi crosses her arms and gives you a pointed look. The hands that were once on your hips fall to your side, and you roll your eyes but smile.

“Fine,” you say. Terezi smiles. You don’t have to wait long for the knocks on your door or Terezi yelling from the kitchen that they’re here, and you nervously make your way to the door. When you open it, you greet the boys with a cheerful smile.

“Hey! Come on in,” you say, opening the door wider. The boys make their way in, marvelling at the house. It’s been spruced up since you started renting it, so you can understand why they’re a little shocked. Terezi pops her head out of the doorway from the kitchen. 

“Hey! Vriska will lead you up to the guest bedroom, and you guys can get yourself situated. I’ll be up there in a few,” she smiles and slides back into the kitchen. Before you lead them upstairs, you introduce yourself.

“I’m Vriska, as you know, nice to meet you all for the first time,” you say, putting your hand out for them to shake. The shorter one goes first.

“Karkat Vantas,” he says. His voice is scratchy and low, sounds like he hasn’t used it in a while, but it’s also weirdly loud. The taller one is next, he’s got a pair of sunglasses on and his hair is died this dirty blonde color with his brunette roots growing in. 

“Dave Strider,” Dave says. 

“All right, let me show you to your rooms,” you say, leading them down the hall. The guest bedroom hasn’t been touched since you and Terezi moved in. You’d done it up, and then you moved on. You knew it wouldn’t be used very often, and you were right. You and Terezi had washed the blankets and sheets a week earlier, and then you left the room as it was again. 

“Here’s your room, the bathroom is down there,” you say, pointing down the hall, “and enjoy your stay. Feel free to just… you know, ask us anything.”

“Thanks,” Karkat says. You nod and make your way back to the kitchen. You know that Karkat and Terezi are closer than Dave and Terezi, so when Terezi is out of the house, you’re gonna have to ask Karkat about what you should get. God, getting engaged is a fucking process. You sneak up behind Terezi in the kitchen, snaking your arms around her waist and kissing her temple. Terezi lets out a soft giggle and looks up at you.

“Hey,” you say.

“Hey,” she replies. You go to kiss her on the lips and she turns around completely, putting her hands on your cheeks. When she pulls away, there’s a gentle smile on her face. The moment is ruined when someone clears their throat. Terezi puts her head on your shoulder, standing on her tiptoes to fully see the person.

“Hey, Karkat!” she says, cheeriness ringing through her voice. You let out a huff and pick Terezi up, making her let out a shocked squeal. 

“Hey, Terezi. How’ve you been?” Karkat asks. 

“Great! How about you?” Terezi asks.

“Just fine,” you can’t see the way Karkat’s smiling, but you know he is.

 

It’s Tuesday before you can ever get Terezi and Dave out of the house and corner Karkat.

“Okay, so I need your help,” you say, sitting with him at the kitchen table. He raises an eyebrow and leans on the table.

“What could you possibly need my help with?” he asks. It’s a valid question, you’ve proven you don’t need much help around the house, even if it’s made you look slightly like an asshole. You sigh and run a hand through your hair.

“I’m gonna propose,” you say. Karkat goes rigid, completely still for half a second. He looks at you, completely shocked, and he leans back in his chair. 

“I… wow, okay. Not what I expected,” he says.

“Really? I’ve been trying to get those two out of the house since you got here so we could have this conversation. Haven’t exactly been that subtle about it either,” you say. Karkat snorts.

“Yeah, that’s true. Now, why exactly do you need my help?” he asks. 

“I don’t know what type of ring to get her, or her size for that matter,” you say.

“She’s a size seven in ring size. She’s always talked about how she wants to get her birthstone as her engagement ring, says diamonds are bullshit,” Karkat says.

“Thanks,” you say, smiling. He nods and stands. “Now, uh, can you help me come pick one? You know her best, I think you know what she’ll like best.” 

“Like… Right now?” he asks. You shrug.

“Might as well take the time we’ve got, I don’t know when they’ll be back. Even when she’s grocery shopping alone, Terezi spends like two hours in there,” you say. 

“She’ll spend like four since Dave is with her,” Karkat says. You nod.

“Let’s get goin’ then,” you say, a devious grin crossing your face. Karka nods, rolling his eyes and clicking his tongue, but smiling nonetheless. 

 

When you get to the Kay Jewelers you are more than overwhelmed. Karkat helps you calm down for a second once you begin shaking, even though you tell him you’re fine and you don’t need his help. Karkat crosses his arms.

“The whole entire reason I’m here is because you need my help,” he says. 

“I. You know what? Sh,” you say. Karkat snorts and walks past you, jerking his head forward.

“Come on,” he says. You follow him, heart racing, and as a pool of nerves.

 

“Are you sure this is a good one? Are you sure she’ll like it?”

“Yes, Vriska, calm down.”

“Karkat, I can’t calm down!”

“Okay, listen: my best friend loves you. If you fuck this up, at all, and I know you haven’t yet, but if you do, I will fuck you up. The only reason I’m putting up with you is because Terezi loves you, she adores you, Vriska, I hope you know that. I don’t think you’re going to fuck up your engagement, and I’m proud of you for that. Don’t make me regret saying that.”

“I’m moved, truly.”

“Good.”

 

“Okay, so when do you plan on doing this?” Karkat asks from the passenger's seat.

“I was thinking Thursday? I still have to book some shit up, and Pensacola is six hours from Orlando, but still,” you say, hand on the console. Karkat looks at you and you glance at him.

“‘Book some shit up’? What the hell does that mean?” he asks. “Where exactly are you proposing?”

“Disney,” you say.

“Happiest place on earth,” Karkat counters. You nod. 

“That’ll be nice,” he says.

“I’m trying to do it before you two leave. You’re her best friend, I think you deserve to see if she says yes or no, you know?” you say. 

“Vriska, she’s going to say yes, okay? Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t back out. I can hide the ring in my room for you. It’s going to be alright,” Karkat says. You let out a sigh.

“Let’s hope,” you say.

 

The days leading up to the proposal are anxiety ridden. Karkat and Dave both know about your plan, and you drop an impromptu Disney trip on Terezi on Wednesday afternoon. Finally, when the time comes around to drive to Orlando, you’re half-asleep and thriving on badly made coffee. When you get the chance, you’ll stop at Starbucks and get yourself something to drink. 

Terezi is half-asleep in the passenger’s seat, her hand curled around yours and her knees tucked in the seat, head rolled off the side. Dave and Karkat are also asleep in the back seat, laid up on each other. You didn’t have to leave this early, but you thought it’d be better to get there early than to get there late. Besides, you can always do random shit in Orlando since you have time. 

Whenever you do arrive, the four of you fuck around for a few hours. Eventually, Dave and Karkat run off somewhere. They’re going to record the proposal, you’d asked them to, and you hope they’re there at the time you told them to be. Terezi looks fantastic with her windswept hair and the off the shoulder red sweater she’s wearing that’s tucked into some high waisted shorts. She’s wearing a pair of checkered Vans you couldn’t fit anymore and had given to her not that long ago. You’re wearing a loose fitting black button up and some shorts so torn you’re surprised there’s any fabric left along with a jacket. You’re wearing plain black Converse you’d found in the back of your closet. 

“Let’s go to Disney Springs,” you say. 

“Alrighty,” Terezi says, leaning into your side and following you. You’re getting antsy now, heading to the spot where you’re going to propose. You slip your jacket back on and fiddle with the ring box in your right pocket. When you finally get there, you spot Dave and Karkat fucking around, but trying not to get noticed. You lead Terezi over to a vaguely open spot close to where Karkat and Dave are, and the plan is in motion. You’re going to ask her to marry you. 

When Terezi is turned for a moment, distracted by the lights and the night sky, you take the box out of your pocket and get down on one knee. When Terezi turns, she knows exactly what’s happening. Her hand flies to her face, and her eyes are already filling with tears.

“Hey, so, um, I don’t have this big speech planned out, but Terezi Pyrope, you have been the love of my life for god knows how long. I don’t know how long I’ve been planning this like just… in my head, I know I’ve been doing it for a really long time. You’ve always been there for me, always looked out for me even when I’ve done some fucked up shit, and you’re just there to listen. You’re beautiful, Terezi, my love, and I’m sure I know what I’m doing right now. So, will you marry me?” you ask. 

“Yes, absolutely, yes I will!” she says, wiping at her eyes and laughing. You get up and slide the ring on her finger, a large smile on your face and tears in your own eyes and you hug her. You squeeze around her waist hard and laugh.

“God, I love you so much,” you whisper into her ear.

“I love you too,” she says.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @funkyhypnotic


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